This primer on anorexia and bulimia is aimed at patients and the people who care about them. Written in straightforward language by two experts in the field, it describes the symptoms and warning signs of eating disorders, explains their presumed causes and complexities, and suggests effective treatments.

The volume includes: guidance about what to expect and look for in the assessment and treatment process; emphasis on the critical role of psychotherapy and family therapy in recovery; explanation of how anorexia and bulimia differ in their origins and manifestations; information on males with eating disorders and how they are similar to and different from female patients; a separate chapter for health-care professionals who are not specialists in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with eating disorders; and readings, Internet sites, and professional organizations in the United States and in Europe.